LONGEST HOSPITAL STAY
This is Francis’s fourth hospital stay since he became pope on Mar 13, 2013, and is the longest and most fraught.
He has, in recent years, suffered from a number of health problems, even while maintaining a packed schedule, including many overseas trips.
Francis was admitted to the Gemelli between July 4 and July 14, 2021, for surgery on a type of diverticulitis, an inflammation of pockets that develop in the lining of the intestine.
In March 2023, he was an inpatient for three days for bronchitis and between June 7 and June 16 that year was admitted for a hernia operation.
As a young man, he had part of his right lung removed, making him more susceptible to respiratory infections.
Knee and hip pain have forced him to use a wheelchair since 2022. He underwent cataract surgery in 2019 and recently began wearing a hearing aid.
